VIDEO: Bulls unleash Snyman on Stormers

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Rudolph Snyman will start in the No.5 jersey when the Bulls take on the Stormers in a Super Rugby pre-season clash in Wellington on Saturday.

Snyman has returned from his club duties in Japan recently and will make his first appearance in a Bulls jersey in 2018.

Roelof Smit, who proved his fitness off the bench last weekend against the Sharks in Polokwane after an injury lay-off, has also been given a start.

Both could play significant roles in the Bulls pack as head coach John Mitchell moulds his squad for the forthcoming Super Rugby tournament.

The coach made a number of rotational changes to the side that played the Sharks with the halfback pairing of Andre Warner and Marnitz Boshoff starting and Embrose Papier and Manie Libbok reverting to the bench.

Only Divan Rossouw (fullback), the midfield pairing of Burger Odendaal and Johnny Kotze, Hanro Liebenberg (loose forward) and lock Ruben van Heerden has been retained from the starting team, with a host of players who came off the bench in Polokwane now getting a run-on opportunity in the Wellington clash.

"A number of players who did not start last weekend get a change to do so this week and will get some valuable game time under the belt," Mitchell explained.

"We are still building towards the start of the competition and our performance will be work in progress towards that. We know we are playing against a very capable side, but that is the whole purpose of matches like these. There is nothing on offer, but so much to learn for both sides."

A call will be made on the fitness of Travis Ismaiel prior to departure and if he is ruled out, Junior Springbok midfielder Franco Naude will replace him.